Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas, right, forces a fumble at the goal line by Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Seattle Seahawks kicker Blair Walsh #7 is congratulated on his 3rd quarter field goal. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp #18 runs into Seattle Seahawks defensive back Shaquill Griffin #26 as he is pushed out on the sideline after a 3rd quarter reception. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

A ram fan in the 4th quarter. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Colliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner #54 consoles Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods #17 after the last play of the game. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Colliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll greets Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay at mid field after the game. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Colliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff #16 looses the ball after being hit from behind in the 4th quarter. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff #16 looses the ball after being hit from behind in the 4th quarter. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods #17 is dejected in the endzone after the final play of the game. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff #16 runs onto the field before the game. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Robert Quinn #94 raises a fist in protest during the National Anthem. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tanner McEvoy #19 throws a halfback pass that was intercepted in the first half. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Rams owner Stan Kroenke stands in the tunnel before the game. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley #30 runs for yardage in the first half. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Fans during the first half. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham #88 goes up for a TD reception against Los Angeles Rams defensive back John Johnson #43 in the first half. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay calls a time out in the 4th quarter. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Ram Fans. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff #16 and Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth #77 look to the sideline after an incomplete pass on the last play of the game. The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 16-10 in a regular season NFL game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles,, CA 10/9/2017 (Photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Sean McVay isn’t infallible. Don’t fit Jared Goff for a Hall of Fame jacket. Todd Gurley isn’t going to set yards-from-scrimmage records. All of this was obvious, of course, but it’s been fun to daydream for a while.

Reality returned to the Coliseum on Sunday afternoon. The Rams’ offense is good and growing and, by all indications, it’s building toward long-term success, but the Rams are not yet in a position to survive a gaggle of mistakes against a good team, as became evident in their 16-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

With a chance to take command of the NFC West, the Rams (3-2) instead turned the ball over five times and totaled just three points from five trips to the Seahawks’ red zone.

“We continued to step on our own feet,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “There were plays all over the place that we didn’t do good enough. It’s a learning opportunity, but you’d still like to win a game when you have the opportunity to win it. We’ve got to find a way to close the door.”

The biggest groans came at the end, after the Rams drove 55 yards in 49 seconds and had the ball at the Seattle 20 with a chance to win. Goff threw three incomplete passes. The second bounced off the hands of diving rookie Cooper Kupp. The third short-hopped Kupp while he was double-covered in the end zone.

If anything, though, that points to progress. The Rams outgained the Seahawks, 375-241, played stellar defense and came within Kupp’s fingertips of recording a franchise-defining victory.

“What (the Seahawks) do defensively is tremendous,” Goff said, “and they did a good job shutting us down offensively. But we know we’re good, too. We’re not, by any means, saying, ‘They’re too good.’ We’re good too, and we can be a lot better than that.”

It’s not as though the dam broke on the Rams. It was more like death by a hundred drips, too many small mistakes by players (and a coach) who, for most of the first month of the season, were brilliant.

It’s fair to start with McVay, the 31-year-old first-year coach and play-caller who deservedly earned high praise as the Rams scored the most points of any NFL team in the season’s first four weeks.

McVay clearly lost the battle of the minds against Seattle’s Pete Carroll, long considered a defensive wizard. For long stretches of Sunday’s game, the Rams wouldn’t (or couldn’t) get the ball to running back Todd Gurley, who totaled 215 yards from scrimmage last week against Dallas.

Gurley had only 14 carries for 43 yards and caught two passes for 7 yards. The latter is more understandable, because Seattle’s defense did a great job of shadowing Gurley out of the backfield?

But the lack of rushes? It’s a bit baffling. Seattle’s defense is well-known for being stout against the run, but for long stretches of the game, McVay didn’t even give Gurley a chance. Tavon Austin, a receiver and Gurley’s nominal backup, had six carries and one good moment, a 27-yard touchdown run.

Gurley had his moment early in the game, when he nearly finished a 12-yard touchdown, but fumbled just before the goal line. The ball glanced off the pylon, so the Seahawks were awarded a touchback. The Rams ran 11 more plays in the Seahawks’ red zone, and Gurley never touched the ball.

The Rams called 47 pass plays and only 22 run plays Sunday.

“It was nothing that Todd wasn’t doing,” McVay said. “It was just more of a matter of some of the decisions that we made, and I made as the play-caller.”

The red-zone issues aren’t new. Last week against Dallas, the Rams got there four times and scored only one touchdown. The struggles were masked by the fact that Greg Zuerlein made seven field goals.

No such luck this time. Even Zuerlein faltered, when he missed a 36-yard field goal in the third quarter that would have given the Rams the lead. Goff made several questionable throw attempts and finished 22 of 47 for 288 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Sammy Watkins was invisible. Austin fumbled a punt. Even ultra-reliable punter Johnny Hekker shanked an attempt.

Still, the Rams had a 10-point lead in the first half and, in spite of all their miscues, were one positive play for victory. There’s no shame in that, not against a Seattle team that has won the division two consecutive years, but in the context of the past two weeks, it felt like a setback.

“It’s not just one play,” receiver Robert Woods said. “We’ve got to put ourselves in good situations early in the game, so it doesn’t come down to one play.”

Rich Hammond was a high school senior when the Rams left town in 1995, and now he's their beat writer for the Southern California News Group. A native of L.A., Rich broke in at the Daily Breeze as a college freshman and also has covered USC, the Kings, the Lakers and the Dodgers. He still loves sports and telling stories. Don't take the sarcastic tweets too seriously.

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